Paris fears retaliation after copies of the Quran were burned in Sweden and Denmark during anti-Turkish protests.
In retaliation for copies of the Quran burned in Sweden and Denmark during anti-Turkish protests, France and the United States on Friday evening called on Turkey to show “vigilance” to its citizens in the face of the risk of attacks.
The US Embassy in Ankara said, “In light of recent incidents of Quran burning in Europe, the US government is warning its citizens of possible terrorist attacks targeting places of worship in Turkey as a measure of retaliation.” “Terrorists can strike without warning and target places of worship that are frequented by Westerners,” he said.
The US representation recommends “being cautious, avoiding crowds and keeping a low profile”.
“exercise utmost care”
Simultaneously, the French representation in Ankara sent a similar message by email to its nationals in the country, referring to the United States alert.
“As recalled by the security alert issued by the United States Embassy on January 27, 2023, the risk of terrorist attack in Turkey remains high, French people living in Turkey or transiting through Turkey should be protected to the maximum, especially in places of gathering are asked to show vigilance. There is a possibility of frequent visits by foreign nationals, including places of worship,” he said.
A diplomat said the press release was to be put online in the evening on the website of the foreign ministry and the French embassy in Ankara.
Diplomatic crisis between Ankara and Stockholm
Several demonstrations took place in Stockholm last week and in Copenhagen on Friday, during which copies of the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, were burned by an extremist who claimed to oppose Turkey’s veto on Sweden’s entry into NATO.
Ankara has since May blocked the Atlantic Alliance’s expansion to the country as well as Finland, demanding from Stockholm the extradition of Kurdish refugees it considers “terrorists”.
These incidents have been condemned and condemned by the respective governments and Western capitals, especially Washington.
But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that Sweden can no longer count on Turkey’s “support” to join NATO and talks have been officially suspended.
